According to Kaplan, the “Avoid as Teammate” feature is put in place to help players craft a better gameplay experience by avoiding other players that may cause them frustration for one reason or another. Considering Overwatch is a team-based game, there are plenty of players that want coordination with their teammates, but not everyone delivers.
The feature will allow players to avoid a teammate that may not be following orders well, or who may be causing problems for the team, for up to 7 days at a time. While the window is active, Overwatch will not match a player up with the blocked player for the next 7 days, although they may still encounter them on the opposite team. After 7 days, a player can block another again, and players are allowed to unblock each other at any time before the 7 day period expires.
Players are only allowed to avoid 2 people at a time, though, since this new feature can lead to longer waiting times when it comes to matchmaking. According to Kaplan, this should not be a problem, especially at the middle-skill tiers. This may be a problem for higher-skill players, though, as there are fewer teammates to choose from. But Kaplan insists that the Overwatch team will be monitoring this. Another problem that this feature may cause is that players who get avoided as a teammate may find it hard eventually to find matches.
Many players already seem to be getting upset about the introduction of this feature, as it could cause problems for players simply because their teammates dislike their playstyle. But in light of recent debates surrounding toxicity in online gaming, this feature may just be another step in the right direction for those that are getting harassed by other players online. We are yet to see what impact this feature will have on the game, but we do look forward to having more control over the gameplay experience.
Overwatch is now available on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
